Tag Archives: argue

Everyone has their own opinions and most people want their opinions known. This results in a lot of arguments and debates between people who don’t see eye to eye. I’ve discussed politics, religion, sports, et cetera with friends, family members, and random people at the bar. Most of the time I end up having a decent conversation with someone who has a different viewpoint than me. But occasionally I realize that I’m talking to a complete idiot who has no idea how spectacularly wrong they are.

Case in point: the other day I was talking to a Dodger fan at a baseball game and I mentioned that beach balls in the stands is a Dodger thing. He disagreed and said that beach balls in the stands is a baseball thing. I couldn’t help but laugh at his ignorance. We were sitting in the bleachers at AT&T Park on a gorgeous sunny Saturday afternoon with nary a beach ball in sight. If beach balls are a baseball thing, then where the fuck were all the beach balls? Oh, in Dodger Stadium, that’s right.

I didn’t bring up that very valid point though because there’s no point in arguing with an idiot. It’s an excercise in futility. If they don’t believe basic facts, they aren’t going to believe you. I want to be clear that he’s not an idiot for being a Dodgers fan. That’s not his fault. Your team is chosen for you before you’re born. He’s an idiot for not realizing that the traditions of Dodger Stadium don’t extend to all of baseball. He probably thinks that every stadium sells Dodger Dogs. They don’t. Just like they don’t do The Chop outside of Atlanta. Don’t argue with stupid people. You’re never going to change their mind. It’s a waste of time and energy. Ignorance is bliss and sometimes people want to be happy. Let them believe the world is flat.

I was having a casual argument with my girlfriend the other night (the kind where you bicker back and forth mostly out of boredom rather than anger), and I finally caved in and relented, giving her the victory and telling her that she was right. She responded by saying, “That’s right, I’m never wrong.” I responded by laughing and writing that down. That’s right, I’m never wrong. It has a certain poetry to it. It’s certainly a paradox. It’s a contradictory statement that’s both false and true. I’ve dubbed it the girlfriend paradox because she doesn’t have to be right in order to win the argument.

I was hanging out with some friends the other day. It was a fun time up until they started bickering about some minor bullshit that occurred between the two of them a few weeks earlier. They started hurling accusations and insults at each other and the tension was rising. I had to intervene to calm them down. I gave them a reminder that they were in public and told them to kindly shut the fuck up. I hate getting stuck in the middle of an argument, especially stupid ones. Luckily I didn’t have to choose sides this time. People are going to argue and butt heads from time to time. Sometime innocent people get stuck in the crossfire. You can either turn a blind eye or you can try to be the voice of reason. Either choice has potential repercussions. Choose wisely. It’s a terrible feeling when people you care about don’t get along and showcase it in front of you. Especially when it’s your parents and you’re the topic of discussion.

Like this:

I wouldn’t say that I hate anybody, but there are a few people that I simply don’t get along with. We don’t see eye to eye, we rub each other the wrong way, and we can’t help but bicker and argue. Some people just aren’t meant to be friends. And that’s ok as long as you don’t physically come to blows or keep your psychological warfare to a minimum (at least when other people are in the room). All you can do is try to be civil or at least pretend to be. Don’t be petty. Don’t undermine them. Don’t cut them down or insult them to their face, wait until they leave the room. Then you can talk shit behind their back, the way that you’re supposed to air your grievances. Some people don’t get along. That’s all there is to it. Don’t take it personally. It’s awesome if you have thousands of friends, but you’re doing something wrong if you don’t have any enemies.

Like this:

You’re going to fight on your vacation. It doesn’t matter if you’re on vacation with your friends or with your family. It doesn’t matter if you’re an hour from home or twelve hours from home. At some point there will be raised voices and a heated exchange. It’s inevitable, it’s unavoidable, and it’s going to fucking happen. It’s impossible to be stuck in close proximity with other people without butting heads at some point. Every gets tired and cranky, and it doesn’t take much to rub someone the wrong way. Everyone has their own itinerary; their own stuff that they want to see or do, and not everyone will get their way. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the group at the expense of your own personal enjoyment. And sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and make a stink. Fighting on vacation is a tradition as old as going on vacation. You can’t have one without the other. Just try to resolve things before they get too escalated, because it’s better to suffer together than to suffer alone in a strange place.